Life and Choices… thoughts Carmel Rowley
I’m always fascinated by my own as well as other peoples life choices – even more so at present as ‘choice’ is a theme that runs through Book 3 in my’ Daughters of the Wind’ series. Whether you’re breeding Arabian horses, writing a novel or simply living day to day, life is all about the choices we make. I know in the first two books in the ‘Daughters of the Wind’ series my characters did not always make the wisest choices. In book three, choices are again an issue, which got me thinking…
I can only speak about the roads I’ve travelled. And let me tell you, there have been plenty of crossroads, where I’ve had to stop and make a decision about which way to turn. Naturally there were never any guarantees that my choices were the right ones, though with everything I do, I always put LOTS and LOTS of background reading, observing and research into trying to make the right decision.
This is especially true with two of the major roads I’ve travelled, the ones that set me my greatest challenges. These challenges were/are breeding Arabian horses, writing and more recently publishing my novels.
As a writer and probably an interested bystander I often wonder why so many people have such unrealistic expectations about the life journey they undertake. Do they listen to the wrong people? Do they not notice the attrition rate? It seems every day in both publishing and breeding, people are worn out by their goals not reaching expectations. I guess this is why it’s so important to take the time to learn for ones self.
In all my years of breeding horses I’ve seen an uncountable number of people who have come and gone. Their reasons , well, they would probably fill a book and all I can say is -that’s another story and maybe I’ll write the book!
But seriously, one thing I would like to say is – when people make their own choices – they should also take responsibility for those choices. I now realise the publishing industry isn’t really so very different to the horse industry. It’s still mind-blowing competitive! For example, when you consult Nielsen BookScan (Nielsen BookScan is the international sales data monitoring and analysis service for the English-language book industry worldwide. www.nielsonbookscan.com.au ) In a typical week BookScan Australia collects over 60,000 different titles that represent more than $14 million from over 1000 retailers! It’s a heck of a lot of books.
So when I jumped in and made the choice to be the independent/self publisher of my books it was just as scary or maybe scarier than buying my first horse! And even after all my self publishing research I still felt as if I was thrown to the sharks! But at least I did make a decision and I took full responsibility for the outcome.
Two years into my publishing journey sees me still learning, so much so that my brain often goes into overload forcing me to stop and and take a little break! It goes to prove, breeding horses, as with self publishing and writing, one never stops learning, you just keep evolving.
So whether it’s about breeding horses or writing/publishing books the best idea is to make informed choices even if it takes a little longer to achieve your goal. But when it all boils down to it, we travel along the road of life not expecting to always cruise a highway, sometimes the road is full of potholes and sometimes it’s uphill climbs with no passing lanes. There may be roads to defeat and disappointment, but if you work towards informed choices, take responsibility for your choices and learn a little as you ponder your decisions there are just as many roads to happiness and success.
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Toowoomba Wordsmiths new catalogue for National Year of Reading.
THE TOOWOOMBA WORDSMITHS
Just a few of the Toowoomba Wordsmiths…
One of Toowoomba’s newest Writers’ groups gathered yesterday at Mary Ryans bookstore to celebrate the groups newly released reference catalogue for 2012 National Year of Reading. It contains local authors, journalists, writers, wordsmiths and their books. There’s something for everyone and the idea is to keep adding to the list throughout the year of reading…
THE AUTHORS -
Yvonne Winer – writer, educator
Yvonne Winer is the author of 33 books, which include picture books, junior novels, ‘Spiders spin Webs’ series, books for reading schemes, a song book, action rhymes, craft books and several teacher resource books. She is at present co-author of a teacher resource book of Traditional Tales and has also been contracted by that same publisher to retell several tales for their reading scheme for eBooks and electronic whiteboards. She was the workshop presenter for an interesting ‘shell book’ project in Vanuatu and this resulted in 46 stories all of which have now been printed in Bislama and illustrated by local illustrators for young Vanuatu readers. Her publishers include Margaret Hamilton Books, Scholastic, Charles- bridge, Pademelon Press, Era publications, Nelson, Longman and Angus and Robertson. Contact: winery@icr.com.au
Susan Skowronski – writer, editor, publisher, blogger
Susan’s self published children’s book Farmer’s Kids has been purchased by local schools and libraries and teaching notes are available to download for free. Susan is currently editor of Scope magazine, the monthly publication of Fellowship of Australian Writers Queensland, and her work has appeared in several anthologies, most recently Battered but not Beaten – stories of the 2011 floods in Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley. Susan is working on a ‘Children and Wildlife’ series. ‘Gordon’s Big Adventure’ is now available. ‘Quentin goes Hunting’ will be released soon. Website www.susanskowronksi.com
Janet Kieseker – marketer, writer, business developer
Janet has a background in advertising, PR and communication. In 2001, she established www.ourmarketingdepartment.com.au http://www.ourmarketingdepartment.com.au/ after making a green change from Sydney. Janet realised only recently she is a writer, albeit a commercial one, spending her work days crafting TV and radio scripts, website text, media releases, newsletters and ad copy as well as the communication strategies that underpin them. Janet is a regular contributor to Highlife Downs Living magazine and founder of www.writersweb.com.au, http://writersweb.com.au/which connects emerging writers with readers. She is planning to write her first book in 2012 and is available as a speaker. Contact: janetk@ourmarketingdepartment.com.au or info@writersweb.com.au
Emma Mactaggart – writer, publisher
Having written and self published two children’s picture books a decade ago, she has been fine tuning the methodology of creating a children’s picture book ever since. The outcome: a program Child Writes, which is delivered in schools to primary school aged children. Graduates then have their books published by Boogie Books. Emma is also co-founder of writers? web, connecting readers and writers. She is represented by agency Speakers Ink. To celebrate NYR 2012, she has polished a workshop ‘Where do Ideas come from?’ (40 minutes / 80 minutes). Contact: em@boogiebooks.com.au
Carmel Rowley – author, blogger, publisher
Author and independent publisher of two adult fiction and one children’s book, Carmel Rowley has always loved horses; owning and breeding purebred Arabians since 1975. Riding and breeding horses became the impetus for publishing articles about the Arabian breed in Australian and overseas publications. A fascination for people and what motivates their life journey initially sparked the idea for the ‘Daughters of the Wind’ series, a first of it’s kind. ‘Tails Carried High’ and ‘Voices in the Wind’ has sold prolifically around the world, USA, Canada, Poland, Germany, England, Egypt, South Africa, New Zealand and continues to sell in Australia. Contact Carmel: carmel@carmelrowley.com.au
Robyne Matthews – designer, illustrator
Drawing on her extensive experience in photo editing, illustration and graphic design, Robyne branched into book cover and page design when she teamed up with local writer, Carmel Rowley in 2010. Since then Robyne has gone on to more cover designs and further training in manuscript preparation and scripting. Robyne is passionate about articulate design, and as a budding writer herself she under- stands that readers do tend to judge a book by its cover. Whether you have a design idea in mind or not, Robyne is happy to discuss your needs, without obligation, so you can plan ahead for publication. Phone: 0423 538 004. Email: 9Livesstudio@iinet.net.au
Breanda Cross – author
Writing began as a uni student where I became a flagrant professional student, gaining degrees in many useless disciplines, then writing about their inadequacies in journals. As part of a trio, I then turned to Mills and Boon, until the tendency to constantly kill off the hero, led to crime writing and participation in the Crime Writers Queensland anthologies. My Clauseou-type female character called Wannabe Bond appeared in many issues of Bullet, and later, a script and novel dealing with the Sydney Razor Gangs. More recently, a compendium on the Toowoomba floods has preceded an autobiography called My Death Diary. crimewithoutgrime@gmail.com
Steven West – author “What Happens When We Die”
Steven West is a retired Ambulance Officer and has written a booklet about his own near death experience and many others he has witnessed throughout his career. As well, he enjoys talking to groups on this subject. Contact Steven at www.heavenhereafter.com http://www.heavenhereafter.com/and whathappens.west@gmail.com
Bob Whittaker – author “Jellybeans in the Jungle”
Bob Whittaker is a retired school principal and semi-retired educational consultant who writes because he enjoys it. He independently published his first book in September 2011, and has already sold enough copies to cover publishing costs. He is learning on the job about marketing and promotion. Bob enjoys talking about writing, promotion and publishing and researching war history. He is available for speaking engagements through rwhittak@bigpond.net.au
THE BOOKS -
Eric the Echidna Has Lost His Spikes RRP $20.00
Children will love the beautifully illustrated pencil drawings that recreate the Australian bush and animals. Designed for 0-5years or early readers 6-8years. Eric the Echidna is a story about an Echidna who gets caught in a storm and loses his spikes. Journey with Eric and meet some of his friends, Derek the Dingo, Karl the Kookaburra and Cedric the Crocodile as they discover what it means to share. This locally produced, printed and published children’s book by Debrah Pacholke is available at Mary Ryan book store or visit www.erictheechidna.blogspot.com
Jellybeans in the Jungle RRP $25.00
This book is one man’s attempt to make sense of his experience as a conscripted soldier during Australia’s war in Vietnam. This book tells the story of his recruit training, and his posting to an infantry battalion which was deployed to Vietnam in 1970. He describes his service, punctuated by some grim encounters with both enemy and friendly troops, his R & R in Bangkok, and finally his return to Australia and his rehabilitation as a teacher of children with disabilities. Jellybeans in the Jungle is available from Mary Ryan’s Bookstore locally and on-line at http://jellybeansinthejungle.blogspot.com.au/
Child Writes – Creating a Children’s Picture Book is Childs Play RRP: $29.95
How long have you held the dream of creating a children’s picture book? Whether you intend to give the gift of words and images in book form to your loved ones, write the next children’s bestseller; or help others to bring their ideas to life—Child Writes is a step-by-step guide to creating a children’s picture book. It provides comprehensive, commonsense and creative inspiration for anyone who has ever wanted to make a picture book.
www.writersweb.com.au or Mary Ryan’s Bookstore (April 2012)
Battered but not Beaten: Flood Anthology RRP: $15.00
Battered but not Beaten is a collection of reports, accounts, stories, poems and first hand experiences of the Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley 2011 flood, exemplifying the Aussie Battler spirit that rose against extraordinary adversity. The anthology is available from Mary Ryan Bookstore and the Toowoomba Visitor Centre.
Tails Carried High Book one in the “Daughters of the Wind” series RRP $29.95
After her mother’s death, Jessikah Lloyd throws caution to the wind, leaving England in search of her family history in Queensland, Australia. As disturbing secrets are revealed, Jessikah learns that, had her mother remained in Australia, she would have been the fourth generation in a long line of Arabian horse breeders. Jessikah finds the ego-driven world of the Arabian horse industry fascinating, but what she longs to know eludes her. How did her grandmother Emma Hagen die twenty-five years ago? When good-looking Marc Carey agrees to help her in her search for the truth, it’s not long before both Marc and the Arabian horse become irresistible. It is time to unlock the family secrets. www.carmelrowley.com.au,
Dymocks, Toowoomba, www.equitainment.com.au
Voices in the Wind Book two in the “Daughters of the Wind” series RRP $26.95
The persistent neighing of horses resonated on the soft wind. Was it a warning or a reminder for Jessikah to heed caution and remember the past? Jessikah Lloyd is devoted to breeding Arabian horses. But a sequence of events, during the holiday of a lifetime, will alter her life forever. A mysterious incident in Venice is followed by the passion of the Palio in Siena. At a major German Arabian horseshow, events take a darker turn. Nothing can prepare Jessikah’s family for a deathbed revelation, linked to an old betrayal, or the traumatic events that follow. From the black soil valleys of Australia’s Darling Downs, the green hills of the Loire Valley, Venice’s antiquity and the rush of Siena’s Palio comes the next instalment in The “Daughters of the Wind” series. www.carmelrowley.com.au, Dymocks, Toowoomba, www.equitainment.com.au
Danika and Yatimah From Egypt to the Outback RRP $16.95
Living on a vast cattle station in outback Australia, Yatimah is Danika’s grey Arabian mare. She is the most beautiful, intelligent, and loved horse on Dalry Station. To Danika, Yatimah is perfect. The first time Danika saw Yatimah, she gleamed silver-grey against the red outback soil. She galloped into her life and stole her heart, beginning a special friendship. Little did Danika know the finely-made Arabian mare would prove to be as brave and true as her heritage suggested. Share in the beauty, excitement, danger, fun, and friends, with Danika’s and Yatimah’s outback adventures… www.carmelrowley.com.au,
Dymocks, Toowoomba, www.equitainment.com.au
Gordon the Golden-Tailed Gecko RRP $9.95
Gordon the Golden-tailed Gecko lived happily in the forest at Allies Creek with his friends Gilroy and Gertrude. One day during a game of hide and seek, Gordon hid in a very dangerous place and was carried away on a big adventure. Without the responsible actions of three caring children Gordon may never have returned home.
Farmer’s Kids – A collection of Humourous Stories of Farm Life RRP$14.95
This collection of short stories and poems will make you fall in love with young Doreen growing up as a younger member of a large rural family in the nineteen fifties. She and her slightly older brother Dougie are allowed to tag along with the older boys, sometimes encouraged but often barely tolerated. There’s always something to smile about whether the kids are making a pipe, driving a truck or building a billy- cart. Although the stories are fiction, they really could have happened to anyone.
Posted in Latest News | Tags: 2012 catalogue, bloggers, designers, for 2012 year of reading, publishers, Toowoomba wordsmiths, writers, writing groups | No Comments »
Words on the Arabian horse to enjoy and ponder.
Lithograph by Heinrich Rudolf Schinz. From: “Die Pferde-Racen”. (The horse breeds) Zuerich, 1842
If you’re fortunate enough to own or breed Arabian horses you quickly learn why so much is written about the great love the Arab had for their horse. I adore the poetic words along with the words of wisdom written by people who were often first hand witnesses to the Arabian horse in it’s desert environment. What could be nicer than to begin the week sharing the words of Rousseau, Seetzen, Arvieux and others …
Rousseau writes: “One might say the Arabs love their horses as much as they love their wives, and probably there is not one of them who would not allow his mare to sleep in his tent among his family who care for her in just the same manner as they would for a very much beloved child.”
Also Arvieux said: “The Arabs never hit their horses, but treat them with gentleness, pet and caress them, talk to them and care for them in the most extraordinary way. Any of them talks to his horse as if the horse could understand his speech, and the horse listens to him attentively as to express real attachment and gratitude.”
Ammon continues: “This love for their horses is not only based on their usefulness to the Arabs, as they are absolutely indispensable and of the greatest importance, given the unsteady and war-minded lives these people lead, but is rather a consequence of the old tradition of looking upon a horse as an animal endowed with a noble and magnanimous mind and an intelligence superior to that of other animals.
This is why the Arabs say: ‘Next to man the horse is the most magnificent creature; the most honourable occupation in the kind education of a horse; the most graceful is that of a rider on horseback: the most meritorious action is to feed a horse.”
Extracts from – Asil Arabians II - The Noble Arabian Horses
Posted in Ponderings | Tags: Arabian, Arabian horses, beautiful, desert environment, love, love of horses | No Comments »
Today thousands of people have gathered in Darwin to mark 70 years to the day since bombs rained down on the city, bringing World War II to Australia’s shores for the first time. As we remember the 70th bombing anniversary of Darwin I felt the words from the ABC broadcast sum up the emotion at seeing 188 Japanese aircraft approaching Darwin on the 19th February, 1942.
“…In the clear blue Darwin sky the aircraft looked like a gravesite with black crosses crossing a blue field…”
The Federal Government will make February 19 an official day of remembrance to acknowledge those killed when Japan began bombing Darwin in 1942.
Photograph and words www.abc.net.au
Posted in Sunday Quote of the Week | Tags: 70th anniversary, Australia, Darwin bombing, remembers, survival, war | No Comments »
Today Toowoomba kicked off the Year of Reading with a roller coaster of emotion. This morning I attended a promotion for the 2011 Flood anthology ‘BATTERED but not BEATEN’. The presentation was held at the Toowoomba Library. Several speakers were people who survived and or risked their lives during the devastating January floods last year and listening to the first hand accounts of what people endured on that fateful day held the audience mesmerised. With eyes swimming in tears these extraordinary Australians told personal stories bringing me to tears one minute and laughter the next. A truly humbling few hours.
The presentation was perfectly organised by the Toowoomba Library and congratulations must go to Breanda Cross who put all her vivacious energies into getting this book published. Congratulations also to The Association of Writers at Work, Inc. Toowoomba who took on this task. The room was full of atmosphere with poignant banners and continuous images on a large screen reminding us that when ‘mother nature’ is at her most furious she is unstoppable.
Excerpts were beautifully read from the commemorative book ‘Battered but not Beaten’ flood anthology which was officially released at the end of 2011. For more information about this fabulous book, you can go to the ‘Battered but not Beaten’ Flood Anthology Facebook page for more information.
Darwin is a ‘survivor’ – 70th bombing anniversary
The Neptuna exploding at Darwin wharf on February 19, 1942. (Ref – PH0238/0885) Northern Territory Library
The Darwin City History is short and very dramatic. A city that has survived all man and mother nature can throw at it. The history includes the Overland Telegraph, gold, crocodiles, world war bombings, uranium, cyclone Tracy and a population of hardy pioneers. On Sunday Darwin marks the day seventy years ago when the Australian mainland came under attack for the first time since European settlement with Japan launching two air raids.
The attacks on Darwin, two of 64 made on the city, claimed at least 240 lives. Seven ships in the harbour were sunk, almost every plane at the town’s airfield was destroyed. Those first two raids on February 19, 1942 involved 242 Japanese aircraft, many of them launched from the aircraft carriers Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu and Soryu, which had been involved in the attack two months earlier on the US Fleet at Pearl Harbour.
A service on the Darwin waterfront is the highlight of two weeks of commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the bombing of the city.
Dense clouds of smoke rise from oil tanks hit during the first Japanese air raid on Australia’s mainland, February 19, 1942. In the foreground is HMAS Deloraine, which escaped damage. (Ref – 128108) Australian War Memorial
From ABC NEWS www.abc.net.au
On February 19, 1942, shortly before 10:00am, Japanese forces launched air raids on Darwin, the first on Australian soil.
More than 260 enemy planes, including land-based bombers and planes flying off aircraft carriers in the Timor Sea, attacked US and Australian shipping, the town’s harbour, military and civil aerodromes and the local hospital.
The attacks, which came in two waves, were part of Japan’s efforts to damage Australia’s morale, hinder Darwin’s use as a military base, and ultimately secure neighbouring Timor.
At least 243 people were killed in the attack, and up to 400 people were injured.
Twenty military aircraft were destroyed and eight ships in the harbour were sunk. Air attacks continued over a space of almost two years, with about half of Darwin’s population ultimately fleeing south.
Don’t we all love a facial? Well, it’s very exciting as the Carmel Rowley website just had the works and now sports a whole new look. www.carmelrowley.com.au
I would love you to drop by and if you have time stay a little while you can read the sample chapters of
‘Tails Carried High’ or ‘Danika and Yatimah from Egypt to the Outback’.
Many thanks to Amy of Impressive Web Design for her never ending patience and talent. www.impressivewebdesign.com.au
Posted in Latest News | Tags: Arabian horses, books, breeding, Carmel Rowley, love horses, tails carried high, website update | No Comments »
Sunday Quote of the Week:
“I do it for the joy it brings, cause I’m a joyful girl. ‘Cause the world owes us nothing, we owe each other the world”
Ani Difranco (American singer, Song writer and Guitarist b.1970)
Update on book three in the ‘Daughters of the Wind’ series
It’s so great to finally be able to bring everyone a positive update on book three in the ‘Daughters of the Wind’ series. Guess what? Not only is the book now written but on Friday, I finished typing the first draft into my laptop. It’s taken three months to do this so I decided to have this weekend off!!!
I feel a little like a rider who’s put months upon months of work training their horse to eventually arrive at the competition!
Sure it’s just the beginning of the partnership and there’s still a long way to go, but the competition, like my first draft, is a welcome milestone.
Writing a book is much the same process as training a horse. I suppose many things in life are. For a start, just as you have to select the right horse, the writer has
to have an idea. Then you have to write the idea into a story. That’s a little like a horse who persistently refuses to go on the correct
leg when you ask it to canter! Despair when nothing improves, then elation when you hit on the next idea … or the horse strikes off on the correct leg several times in a row.
I now know to finish writing a novel or a story is a BIG achievement. Writing is such solitary job with most of your time spent alone, living in the world of your characters. But just as training a horse is incredibly satisfying, so is writing a book. I have tens of thousands upon thousands of words behind me and although many will be discarded as each draft is completed that is polishing and we all like our horses to give a polished workout!
Persistence and setting little milestones much the same as I did when I was training my horses are the goals. But the most exciting thing is – doing that collected canter – on the right lead – and making it to the end.
Posted in Latest News | Tags: Arabian, Arabian horses, books, Daughters, drafting, horses, motivation, tails carried high, writing | 6 Comments »
What about swearing in Novels?
When you write a novel there’s always the question whether to add swear words. I know personally, swear words are not really my thing and on the odd time I’ve included them, they’ve been questioned by the people who assist me during my drafting process.
Interestingly, most of my favourite writers don’t include too many swear words in their novels. I guess they’re my favourite authors because of this simple fact. But that’s just me and I’m the same with movies. I find it off putting when a large amount of the dialogue is peppered with swear-words. I don’t know maybe it’s an age thing! Though an occasional curse and swear I have no problem with but a movie or book full of X-rated adverbs becomes more about the swearing than the story.
So do we judge people who swear or the author who has expletives on every page of his or her novel? Yes I think we do. So how does swearing, or being sworn at, or reading such language make you feel? According to Dr Steven Pinker, the people who dismiss swearing as just words are wrong!
Recently I read an article by (psychologist) Dr Pinker, author of The stuff of Thought (amazon.com), and he states. “Hearing taboo words automatically activates areas in the brain associated with negative emotion.” He goes on to say, “Swearing is the use of language as a weapon - forcing a listener to think an unpleasant or emotionally charged thought.” He then mentions, “the same primeval cut-through happens even if you read a swear word.”
So verbal or written swear words DO have power – probably more than I realised. While I don’t consider swearing my thing, it’s not possible to get rid of swearing altogether. Psychologists argue one of the main reasons people swear is to release anger and frustration. But if you overuse swearwords whether in writing or in conversation they tend to lose their emotional edge. Personally, I spend most of my time focusing on the good things in life so I don’t need triggers to evoke the bad. The book The Secret a best-selling 2006 self-help book written by Rhonda Byrne, has a wonderful chart about feelings which I will attach below.
Dr Pinker identifies 5 reasons we swear.
Abusive swearing – which is intended to humiliate or intimidate someone.
Emphatic swearing – when ‘very’ doesn’t quite hit the mark.
Idiomatic swearing – The words themselves are unnecessary and used to attract attention.
Dysphemistic swearing – The opposite to using euphemisms.
Cathartic swearing – Cornered or hurt mammals make a sudden angry noise to frighten off an attacker. Swearing is our human version.
